New! birthday calendar and Snoopy gush

small clay chandelier, decorated with gesso, watercolours and fake gold-leaf, two birthday-cake candles gives you an idea of the scale

I sense we could all do with a little more light these dark days 

I can hardly claim to keep a blog as I rarely post these days. Not just because I don't think my daily musings/routine/et cetera are interesting enough to warrant the sharing. Not that other people's blogs aren't, interesting that is, it just feels like such a waste of time, this ranting rather than listening. Also I find posting pics on Instagram far easier. The election result in the Netherlands kind of illustrates what I'm trying to convey here....One of the many explanations for the swing to the right has been the inability of politicians and those in power to listen to what many voters perceive to be the real problems and solutions. Left and central parties have been unable to lure voters in. Trying to convince one another is, in my book at least, the least viable option: folks don't like being told what to do and what not, they want to be seduced. Which is what Wilders did. I notice I don't really want to mention his name here, but I don't want to turn away from facts either. 

I have by now read countless newspaper articles, watched political interpreters in talk-shows, listened to the news on the radio, leading me to my own conclusion: we live in bubbles and folks are so used to living in a democracy they don't realise how good life is here so we got the result we deserve. Let him try and govern, let's see how the drama unfolds. Maybe things might even work out.

Got that off my chest. Back to my studio: lot's happening here! We, i.e. friends A. & L. and I have a long-weekend exhibit planned at the end of February in the former synagogue in Buren. Meaning new work is in the making. Surprise surprise I find self painting with oils once again, on wooden panels I had prepped with gesso aeons ago.

I've also designed a new birthday calendar, in Dutch this time round; several reasons:

't Lingebos = the Linge woods are just around the corner from where we live and the wild animals (wilde dieren) I have depicted all live there

birthday calendars are a typically Dutch phenomenon I've been told however I imagine non native speakers of the Dutch language understand what month is what - they are for sale btw € 20, details in shop or email me directly if you are interested

'hou me vast' = 'hold me' 2023 

oil on wood, each panel measures ca. 10,5x10,5 cm top to bottom, left to right 32x32 cm (12.6 in)

a self portrait me thinks, ha!

excited to have this to look forward to! after having read an interview with Sarah Bakewell I ordered the book straight away and have since watched this interview on youtube

Snoopy is growing fast! He's almost no longer a puppy, in the sense that he's fast losing his awkwardness as he was tripping over his own too-large-paws. He's much better proportioned and well on his way to becoming quite the handsome young dog I had imagined. We walk and train together each day and he's keen to learn and teach me patience. When I whistle twice he comes running up to me, treat or no treat, just because he can't resist (me). The evenings are spent with Snoop and me cuddled up in fab chair I bought at the fair last August. I get to do my crosswords and he gets to nap on my lap until it's time to go to bed. After a couple of at times frustrating weeks, we are all growing used to one another. His frolicking and exuberance bring such joy these days, I find self looking forward to ever longer walks with my faithful companion.